A New Strategy
}} Celia comes up with a new defense strategy. Cast * Roy Greenhilt ◀ ▶ * Haley Starshine ◀ ▶ * Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶ * Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶ * Celia ◀ ▶ * Lord Shojo ◀ ▶ * Mr. Jones ◀ ▶ Transcript Vaarsuvius: So your contention is that by eradicating this gate of Dorukan's, Elan has inadvertantly weakened the fabric of the universe that keeps this "Snarl" safely trapped? Lord Shojo: Correct. Vaarsuvius: And should all five gates be destroyed, you believe the stress would tear the prison apart, releasing the Snarl to undo the world? Lord Shojo: Correct again. Vaarsuvius: Then I just have one more question: Vaarsuvius: Why in the blasted infernal hells did anyone install a self-destruct enchantment on the cursed thing?? Vaarsuvius: While I fully admit that my knowledge of the world's construction is clearly not as far advanced as I would have hoped, I have to believe that if I ever found myself needing to build an artifact whose sole purpose was to reinforce the failing infrastructure of the universe, I would somehow see fit to NOT include a booby trap!! Lord Shojo: Yes, I had wondered that myself; our gate here does not have one. But Mr. Scruffy believes that Dorukan must have feared that there might be something worse than the loss of one of the gates. Lord Shojo: It is possible that someone could learn to harness the power of the Snarl, perhaps releasing it under more controlled circumstances, with the proper magic. Mr. Scruffy further hypothesizes that the gates may actually enable such a plan by defusing the Snarl's energy. Lord Shojo: If only one gate is destroyed, it could, in time, be rebuilt. Lord Shojo: But if that same gate were to opened and the Snarl controlled, it would mean a new age of darkness for the universe. Lord Shojo: Mr. Scruffy believes that this is why Dorukan saw fit to include an easy way to destroy his gate, should it be threatened. Celia: Roy, quick—when you knocked off Xykon, were there still any of his lieutenants that got away? Roy: Sure, some goblin in a red cloak. I didn't catch his name, though. Celia: Then that's our new defense. When Elan blew up the gate, it wasn't just an accidental goof up— Roy: He was keeping the gate from falling into the wrong hands! Well, falling further into the... wronger hands, I guess. Roy: Celia, that might just work. Roy: You don't think it's going to be a big problem that Elan wasn't actually intending to keep the gate safe by destroying it? Celia: Roy, Elan didn't intend to weaken the fabric of the universe, it was an accident. But here you are, on trial. I say, if intent doesn't matter, let it not matter in our favor! Roy: So now we're pleading "Not Guilty by Virtue of Two Wrongs Make a Right." Celia: Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose. Roy: You're going to do very well in your chosen field, Celia. Trivia * Notice Haley using a (very anachronistic) hair-dryer in the first panel; in the previous strip she was running back from a shower after Shojo's story exposition ended without advance warning. External Links * 278}} View the comic * 6248}} View the discussion thread Category:Order on Trial in Azure City